Google Assistant tipped to get an AI boost with Bard integration; huge boost expected

Google Assistant has gone through a myriad of changes lately. Just days after the tech giant announced mass layoffs that affected “hundreds” of employees across the Bay area, it revealed that it is removing 17 features from Google Assistant, most of which are claimed to be underutilized. However, Google is not done with the changes. In fact, it could get a new breath of life soon as Google is planning to integrate its AI chatbot Bard into the Google Assistant, giving it an AI makeover. Know what’s coming.

Google Assistant - Bard integration

According to the Google News Telegram channel, Google Assistant with Bard could be just around the corner. The rollout is scheduled for March, reports hint. In anticipation, Google has reportedly created a special page within the Pixel Tips app to demonstrate the features of the Bard-integrated Google Assistant. However, it isn't accessible to users yet. While we weren’t able to find the page, the shared video also has a demo of the Google Assistant UI in action. It will reportedly run on the new Gemini family of Large Language Models (LLMs) that Google unveiled last year.

As per the report, Bard-enabled Google Assistant can be invoked the same way as the existing version - by saying ‘Hey Google’ or double tapping the side buttons. 9to5Google previously reported that the Bard-enabled Google Assistant displays the following welcome message:

“You can still say “Hey Google” to get hands-free help. I’m learning some classic Assistant features, but I know lots already.”

When woken up, the Bard-enabled Google Assistant will reportedly have 3 methods of input:

1. Enter a query using the keyboard.

2. Speak the query with your voice.

3. Insert an image and complete it with a query.

Google announced that it was bringing Bard to Google Assistant last year. However, no specifics have been revealed till now, and only information about it has surfaced courtesy of leaks.

Also read other top stories today:

AI on Apple devices? Apple is working on making AI models that can work on devices alone by making them smaller. But we may have to wait a few years for these to work to circumnavigate the “memory wall”. Know where things stand here.

AI leaders on the rise! Businesses are scrambling to appoint AI leaders with the recent boom in technology, leaving metaverse leaders in the lurch. Instead, AI is taking their place. Find out more about this shift here.

Saviour against AI! Taylor Swift’s deepfake photos went viral on X during the weekend but they’ve since been taken down. Can the Time's Person of the Year save humanity from the dark side of AI? Know all the details here.

One more thing! We are now on WhatsApp Channels! Follow us there so you never miss any updates from the world of technology. ‎To follow the HT Tech channel on WhatsApp, click here to join now!